Have we met before?
by whiteplums76
Summary: A Slice of Life Tale. When new student Tomoe Yukishiro meets high school football star Kenshin Himura, his world is turned upside down. Possibly Part 1 of a series.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

The sun was beating down on his back as he hunched over. Glancing from right to left, he took notice of the path he would take; bending lower, he cupped his hands and thrust them forward. As he screamed a command, he felt the hard object touch his hands; instantly, he held onto it as he backed up. He scanned the area, but didn't see a clear shot; he cursed.

He hugged the object close to him as he made his way through the horde; bodies smashed into him, but he was fast; he hurdled over some, but when he reached out and took hold of someone's arm a loud whistle halted his steps. Annoyed, he stopped and looked over.

"FOUL!"

"WHAT?" He screamed as he unclipped his chin guard and pulled off his helmet; his red hair, which was tied in a ponytail, was briefly caught in the mouth guard.

A large man was approaching them – he met him halfway.

"You grabbed his arm…it's a foul." The man stated calmly.

"I was blocking his attempt coach."

"Fine…holding foul. Better?" He proceeded to walk away. "That's it for…"

"Hold on!" He turned. "I want a replay."

The man laughed as he faced him. "Your time's up. If we did a replay you would be on the bench…again."

"Coach Hiko come on!"

"Kenshin!"

His stern voice caused Kenshin to shift backward; soft laughter could be heard.

"Stop being a hotshot. You fouled him…I'm not the only one who saw it. I've told you before not to be a one man team; you had a man open, but you took it yourself. Tell me why?"

Kenshin paused, looking away. "I didn't see anyone." He whispered.

"I don't think you were looking hard enough." Coach Hiko turned to the assembled group; they were still snickering. "HIT THE SHOWERS!"

They dispersed as Hiko returned his gaze to Kenshin.

"You're already on my list young man; I don't want you benched for the game. You're our best runner." He placed a massive hand on his shoulder, causing Kenshin's knees to buckle. He looked up and found his coach smiling.

"You're a hot head, but a good player. Try to include your teammates."

"But coach, I swear, I didn't see anyone open. You know me." He begged.

"I do." He removed his hand. "Enough talk for now; if you don't hurry you'll miss your next class. We'll talk about this at practice later…alright?"

Kenshin stared at him before throwing the ball in his hands. "Yes sir." He said sadly before walking away.

Kenshin was sitting on the step, thumbing through a book when someone grabbed his arm; turning, he was met with a large, wet kiss on the lips.

"Geez Kaoru." He wiped his lips with his sleeve. "Would you quit it?"

"Nice to see you too." She said sarcastically before grabbing his arm again.

"Come on," he pulled his arm away. "I'm not in the mood."

"What's wrong with you?"

"Coach Hiko told him he was a ball hog."

They looked up to find their friend, Sano Sagara, standing over them. He was a tall, thin young man with wild hair; he wore a bandana tied around his head and was always chewing a blade of grass. He was on the team with Kenshin.

"I don't hog the ball." Kenshin stated sulkily. "I didn't see anyone open."

"Aoshi was open." Kenshin stared at him under lidded eyes. "Didn't notice huh?"

"Shut up." Kenshin said quietly.

"Why didn't you throw it to Aoshi?" Kaoru asked with concern.

"Don't act like you understand the game." Kenshin stated before getting to his feet.

"Kenshin!" She squeaked.

"Look, I didn't see him. If I did, I would have thrown the damn thing." He crossed his arms as he leaned onto a nearby tree; Sano was doing the same.

"Was the sun in your eyes?" Sano mocked.

Kenshin produced a small smile. "Maybe."

Sano laughed.

"You're an idiot you know that?" He stated. "You almost got benched." Sano finished as he lowered himself to the ground.

"Yeah right. I'm the best runner on the squad, Coach Hiko said so."

"When?"

"When the team broke. He is not gonna bench me."

"That attitude you have won't help the team." Kaoru said under her breath.

"Like you don't like it." Kenshin moved toward her. He leaned into her face. She twisted her head away, but every attempt she made to dodge his glare, he was there; eventually, she started to laugh.

"Get away." She pushed him playfully. He took her hand and kissed the palm.

"Come on baby, it's me…speedy! This school needs me." He turned to Sano. "Come on man, let's show her what I did today."

Sano held out his hands. "With what?"

"This." He reached out and grabbed Kaoru's hair ribbon.

"HEY!" She jumped up. "Give that back!" She tried to grab it from him.

He was balling it up. "Let me borrow it."

"You're gonna wrinkle it."

"Oh please." He handed it to Sano. "Now, when I run out I'll let you know when to throw."

"You forget I'm on the team too." He held the makeshift ball ready to throw.

Kenshin took a few steps out before turning. "Ready."

"GO OUT FURTHER!" Sano screamed.

Kenshin backed up quickly as Sano prepared to throw; once he was satisfied Kenshin was at a decent distance, he threw the fabric.

Kenshin watched as it flew through the air; he lifted his arms ready to catch it.

"KENSHIN WATCH OUT!"

It was too late. Kenshin slammed hard into someone; the contact sent not only him, but his victim into a puddle of mud.

With his head spinning, Kenshin sat up trying to gather his thoughts.

"Who the hell got in my way?" He said angrily as he turned, but his anger soon dissipated when he realized it was a girl he hit.

"Oh damn, I'm sorry." He quickly got to his feet and took her hand. "Are you hurt?"

He lifted her, but they managed to slip into the mud again; for a brief moment she laughed. Strangely, he did as well.

"I'm sorry." He repeated.

"You said that already." She got up and tried to remove some of the mud from her clothes.

"Are you hurt?" Kenshin asked sincerely.

"I'm a bit embarrassed." She gazed around the school yard; people were pointing and laughing.

"Don't mind them. Let me get that." He noticed she was trying to retrieve her fallen books, but he got to them first. He wiped the mud off, much good it did, before handing them to her.

"KENSHIN!" He turned and found both Sano and Kaoru running toward him. "Are you alright?" She asked as she touched his arm, trying to wipe the mud from his hair. Sano was laughing.

"I wish I had my camera." He stated.

"It's not funny." Kaoru chided. She turned her attention to the girl. "Are you alright?"

"Fine."

"MR. HIMURA!"

The entire yard turned to find their principal, Mr. Hajime, standing on the steps.

"My office…now. You too Mr. Sagara."

He didn't face them. He was standing by the window blowing smoke into the atmosphere as they waited.

Since they were still covered in mud, Principal Hajime ordered several towels to be brought in so his office wouldn't get dirty; unfortunately, it didn't work.

Principal Hajime took one final puff before dispensing his cigarette; he left the window open as he took his seat. He glanced at the dirty floor and shook his head.

He laced his fingers.

"After our meeting you'll clean up this mess…understood?"

"Yes sir." They said in unison.

"Now, tell me why you were throwing a wad of cloth around the school yard? I was under the impression Coach Hiko had practice on the football field…has that changed?"

"No sir."

He held out his hands. "I'm all ears." Although his lips curved into a smile, there was no humor there. Principal Hajime was feared by the entire school; something he prided himself on. Although they sometimes didn't like him, they respected him all the same.

"We're sorry Principal Hajime." Kenshin began.

"I didn't ask for an apology Mr. Himura, I want an explanation."

"I just wanted…" Kenshin started.

"Yes?" Hajime urged.

Sano stared at Kenshin before turning to Hajime. "We were just goofing Principal."

"Goofing?" He repeated as if trying to the word out. "Goofing…hmm." He stood to his feet, placed his hands behind his back and started to pace the room. When he accidentally stepped in a clod of mud, he shook his foot out and returned to his desk. He sat.

"That word doesn't register in my vocabulary; however, I will have a little talk with your coach about your…_goofing_ on school grounds."

"You can't!" Kenshin spoke.

"Oh yes I can and will."

"But…if you do that he may bench us for the game this weekend."

"I'm sorry, did I give the impression that I cared?"

They remained quiet.

"Mr. Sagara, you will go to the utility closet and retrieve the mop and bucket; Mr. Himura will stay here for the time being…I believe he owes someone an apology."

At first Kenshin didn't know what he was talking about, but when Sano stepped from the office, the girl he ran into stepped in. She was dressed in another pair of clothes and had a large plastic bag in her hand; as he peered closer, he noticed they contained her clothes.

She sat in the seat Sano vacated.

"Do they fit alright?" Hajime asked with tenderness.

"Yes, thank you sir."

He smiled.

"You've already met our star athlete…Kenshin Himura." She smiled shyly at him. "This is a new student…Tomoe Yukishiro. What a way to start a new school hey Ms. Yukishiro?"

She smiled.

"Mr. Himura already apologized principal, there's no need for another one." She stated softly.

"He should pay for your dry cleaning."

"No, that's okay…really." She faced Kenshin. "His apology is enough."

Kenshin produced a small smile.

"You're lucky Mr. Himura. Anybody else would have milked you dry."

"Thank you…Tomoe." He said softly.

Sano soon reappeared.

"Ms. Yukishiro, I'm deeply sorry your first day at our humble school was dampened by these…young men. Please accept my humble apology and if your father wishes to speak to me regarding this my door is always open."

She got to her feet and bowed. "Thank you sir."

As she left, she caught sight of Kenshin and smiled; she greeted Sano as she passed him as well.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

When Kenshin and Sano finished cleaning up the office, it was time for their final class; they parted ways and promised to meet up at practice. Kenshin approached the door reluctantly, wondering if he could skip the class all together, but he knew better.

They did their best to clean up their clothes, but he still had mud stains on his uniform and his shoes were caked dry. He stomped them outside the classroom several times, attempting to get them clean; that was when the door swung open roughly, sending him to the floor. The room erupted with laughter.

"QUIET!" The teacher screamed. He looked down at his student.

"Principal Hajime informed me of your activities Himura." He tossed his head backward. "Get up."

Kenshin obeyed and walked into the room slowly. As he passed the threshold, he spotted Tomoe sitting a few seats away. He was so surprised to see her that he ran into a desk.

"HIMURA…please watch out!"

"Yes sir…I'm sorry." He rushed to his seat which was next to Kaoru and another young boy whose name was Yahiko.

"Class, now that Mr. Himura has graced us with his presence, I would like to introduce a new student." He held out his arm. Tomoe stood and approached.

"This is Tomoe Yukishiro."

"Hello." She spoke.

"HELLO!" They voiced in unison.

"She just transferred to this school; our Mr. Himura has already met her." He turned a murderous glare on him. Kenshin slouched in his seat. "Please make her welcome."

"Now." The teacher, Mr. Katsura Kogoro, began with a clap of his hands. "Our 5th annual history competition is coming up." He said happily, but the class groaned.

"Now don't be like that." He turned toward the board and pulled down a chart. "History is very important to our culture; without history where would we be?"

No one answered.

"The rules for our competition still apply except for one thing. I know in the past I've allowed you to choose your own partners, but this year I wanted to do something different." He pulled out a small velvet bag.

"This year I will choose your teams."

The groan was louder this time.

"Is this because of her?" Someone asked loudly.

This made Tomoe blush; Katsura looked at the student angrily.

"You will stay after class." He said severely. "And to answer your question, no, it is not about Ms. Yukishiro. It has come to my attention that those of you who team up with their friends don't get as much work done as the others; not to mention the work you do turn in is not what I expect. Not from this class anyway."

He stuffed his hand into the bag.

"This year there will only be two to a team; I think this will better our chances at winning. Ready?"

The class listened as he called off names; some people groaned when they were teamed up with people they didn't want. Kenshin turned his gaze toward Kaoru who had her eyes closed and her fingers crossed; he laughed at her.

"YAHIKO AND….KAORU!"

"Oh no." She sunk in her seat as Yahiko threw his fist in the air.

"It's you and me babe!" He screamed as he threw an arm around her; she pushed him off, sending him to the floor.

Katsura looked up when he heard the crash. "Are you alright? He asked.

"Yes Mr. Kogoro."

"Good." He stuck his hand inside again. "The next team is…Kenshin and…Tomoe."

Stunned, Kenshin turned toward Tomoe. She was writing something in her notebook.

"Not fair she gets teamed with you." Kaoru pouted, crossing her arms in the process.

"It'll be fine."

"No it won't." She leaned in. "Yahiko doesn't do any work; it'll be me writing all the papers and doing the research."

Kenshin smiled before turning his attention back to Tomoe; she was staring at him, but when he faced her, she returned to her notebook.

"You off to practice?" Kaoru asked.

They were standing in the hallway, outside Mr. Kogoro's class; Kaoru was holding Kenshin's hand.

"In a minute, wanted a word with Tomoe."

Kaoru made a face.

Kenshin smiled. "What?"

"Why do you want to talk to her?"

"Uh, because she's my history partner."

"Can't you do it tomorrow?"

"Why? I'm right here."

"Whatever." She removed her hand and leaned against a wall.

He snickered. "You're gonna wait?"

"Yeah…why…you don't want me to?"

"You can wait if you want." He turned from her and went into the classroom. Tomoe was standing next to Katsura; when he entered, she looked up. Katsura turned.

"May I help you Mr. Himura?"

"I wanted a word with Tomoe please."

"Sure." He got to his feet and collected his things. "Make sure you brush up on what I told you Tomoe."

"I will…thank you." She smiled.

He smiled as well before departing; Kenshin heard him greet Kaoru.

Tomoe stepped away from the desk and approached him; she noted his girlfriend hiding behind the door frame.

"How do you like our school?" He asked.

"It's fine. The welcome was a bit different though."

"What? Oh yeah," he ran a hand across the top of his head and tugged on his ponytail. "It's new."

Her laugh was small.

"Listen, since we're teamed up, I was wondering when you wanted to meet."

"Now would be good."

"Now? Oh, well…I have football practice in a minute."

"Okay. How long do you play?"

"Depends on coach." He produced a goofy grin.

"I usually stay after school, but never too late. I don't know your schedule so..." Kaoru seethed with anger.

"I'll check with coach today…we have a game this weekend so…it might be hectic."

"Oh. Well, just let me know tomorrow…okay?"

"Sure."

They stood there briefly.

"Kenshin…you're going to be late." Kaoru stated from behind him.

"Right. Well, see you Tomoe."

"See you…Kenshin."

She watched as he passed through the door.

Tomoe called out when she entered. She removed her shoes by the door as she waited for a response, but none came.

"Hello?" She called again.

She stepped further into the house, just realizing how dark it was; since the kitchen was situated near the entrance, she went in and turned on the light. No dishes were in the sink, nothing that indicated anyone had been home.

She placed her books and bag of clothes on the table and went to the refrigerator; she took out a pitcher of water and grabbed a glass from the cabinet. She poured herself a tall measure; once her thirst was quenched, she replaced the pitcher and sat.

She listened to the quiet house for a while before getting back to her feet; when she was replacing the glass, it was then she heard the sound of the door opening. Voices accompanied it.

"I told you not to put the sign by the door…it looks tacky."

"But the other places I've seen have it that way."

"Honey, ouch." There was a brief pause. "Tomoe…you home!"

"Yeah mom." She emerged from the kitchen.

"Hi sweetie." Her mother, Sakura, said with a smile. "Dear, move your shoes…I almost tripped."

"Sorry." She rushed over and moved them just as her father was stepping inside.

"Hi honey…what happened to your school clothes?" He asked.

It was then her mother noticed as well.

"Tomoe?"

"Uh, they got dirty…sorry."

"How?" Her mother asked.

"It rained all week honey." Her father declared. "Plus she has a class outside." He stepped further into the house, walking around the two.

"But don't you change for physical education? Why would your clothes be dirty?" Her mother asked again.

"Sakura honey, don't press her about it. Just leave it alone."

"They got dirty in class mom." Tomoe began. "When we came back inside I still had some on my clothes. Sorry."

Sakura looked at her suspiciously. "Hmm, if you say so sweetie." She kissed her cheek. "Where's your brother?"

Tomoe followed her in the kitchen where she placed several leather bound books beside her school books. She glanced at the plastic bag before depositing it onto the floor.

"I haven't seen him yet." She picked up one of the books and stared at it. "Are these it?" She asked happily.

"Yup, they came in today; that's why we're so late getting home."

"It's okay." She flipped through it. "Wow mom they look great."

"Thank your father; he was hell bent on getting that font."

"Dad!" She called without turning.

Her father, Yoritomo, entered the kitchen happily.

"You like it Tomoe?"

"I love it." She threw her arms around him.

He patted her back. "Thank you. Approval from you and your mother are important to me."

She stood back with a sly look on her face. "What about Enishi?"

Yoritomo smiled. "Enishi's ideas…let's just say he won't like it."

"Your brother wanted to put some kind of lizard on the menu." Sakura stated with a shudder.

"A lizard…like to eat?" Tomoe asked with disgust.

Yoritomo chuckled as he picked up the menus. "Your brother has a vivid imagination."

"And no respect for our house…where is he?" Sakura asked.

"He's probably with Kiyosato." Tomoe stated.

Sakura placed her hands on her hips. "Again? Yoritomo, could you check please?"

"Sure." He replaced the menu. "Work all day and still have to work when I get home."

"Just go." She demanded playfully. Yoritomo winked at her before departing.

"When is the opening?" Tomoe asked.

"In two weeks. Did you see the advertisement?"

"Sure did. This is going to be great."

"It's not as big as your father's last restaurant, but…"

"It's better." Tomoe wrapped her arms around Sakura's waist; she embraced her as well.

"I hope you're right. Now, tell me why your clothes really got dirty."

Tomoe pulled back and stared at her.

"I did."

"I can tell when you're lying sweetie."

Tomoe smiled. "I fell in the mud."

Without meaning to, Sakura burst out laughing.

"MOM!"

"I'm sorry honey, but…how did you manage to fall in the mud?" She asked between giggles.

"Why should I tell you now?" She crossed her arms in playful defiance.

"I'm sorry baby…tell me…please?" She snickered.

Tomoe laughed herself.

"Some guys were playing football in the front…one ran into me."

"Oh no." Her giggles forgotten. "Are you alright?"

'I'm fine."

"Are you sure…did you see the nurse?"

"What happened to your fit of giggles?"

"When my babies get hurt I get serious." She held her. "Are you sure you're alright."

"Yes mom. The other boy didn't look too hot himself." She laughed.

Sakura pulled away. "He did apologize right?"

"Yes. The principal told him to pay for my dry cleaning, but I didn't want that."

"Hmm, your father would have."

"Don't tell him…he'll go nuts."

"I won't honey."

Just then the door burst open.

"Found him!" Yoritomo declared, holding a squirming young man with dark hair. "He and Kiyosato were playing with worms."

"Worms…what for?" Sakura asked as she stared at her son.

"We were going fishing tomorrow…needed bait." Enish spoke without care.

"You have school." Yoritomo declared.

"After school…geez." He pulled free. "What's for dinner?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

When he stepped over the threshold he could hear water running.

"Mom?" He closed the door and removed his shoes.

After he placed them neatly on the floor, he raised his head and smiled at a small framed photo sitting on the mantle; there were fresh incense candles burning around it; he rubbed his nose as he continued to stare at it.

"Hi dad." He whispered as he placed two fingers onto the frame.

"Mom?" He called again as he made his way further. He spotted the source of the running water; in the kitchen, the faucet was left on.

"Shit!" He rushed over when he noticed a small puddle forming. Reaching out, he took the handles, but jumped back when it burned him. Placing his fingers briefly in his mouth, he grabbed a nearby tea towel and used it to turn off the faucet.

The water was soaking his socks.

"Anybody home!" He called once more becoming both frustrated and worried. He went into the hall to retrieve a mop and bucket; when he had them in his hands, the door opened and a tall man with thick lashes entered. He glanced at the framed photo, smiled and turned his attention to the young man watching him.

"You're home." He entered and closed the door. "Had to get your mother a few things. What's with the mop?"

"She left the water running." He indicated the kitchen.

"Oh no." He ran inside the kitchen. "Crap." He stepped in the warm water, placing his bundle on the table in the process.

"Where is she?" He asked.

"I don't know. I tried calling, but…she didn't answer."

The man had a look of worry on his face as well. "Maybe she's out back."

Dropping the mop, the young man followed. When they reached the back they found her; she was huddled over a bed of flowers. Her posture told them she was pulling up weeds.

"Kenshin, you go on ahead…I'll start cleaning up the kitchen."

Kenshin stood rooted to the spot as his Uncle Kenji turned from the scene. He stepped forward and pushed back the glass door; he was quiet about stepping into her space, but he also didn't want to frighten her.

"Mom?" He called softly as he neared her. He could hear her mumbling to herself. "Mom it's me…Kenshin."

She continued to ignore him.

When he was close enough to her he stopped; she sat up, placed both hands on her hips and looked around.

"Why did you plant these Shinta…oh my goodness." She said to herself.

Kenshin's heart sunk; she was talking to his dad again. He could feel the tears burn the backs of his eyes.

"Mom?" He tried once more.

Suddenly, she took notice of his presence, turned and smiled broadly at him.

"Kenshin you're home." She got up and came to him. She wrapped her arms tightly around him; he could feel how thin she was. "When did you get back?" She pulled away and looked at him.

"Just now." He tried to smile. "What are you doing out here?"

She let out a breath of annoyance. "Your father bought these plants today…hideous aren't they?" She whispered to him. "But, I promised him I would lay them and so I am. Did you see him?"

Kenshin knew the routine. "Yeah mom I did."

"Well where is he? I've got them all done." She made her way back over to the bed and bent down. It was then that Kenji reappeared.

"How is she?" He whispered into Kenshin's ear, but he didn't answer. He turned and walked back into the house.

Kenji found him sitting out front; closing the door softly behind him, he joined him on the step. He allowed a sigh of relief to escape him.

"I managed to put her to bed." He stated.

"I thought they had stopped?" Kenshin whispered, keeping his eyes downcast.

Kenji leaned forward trying to look at him.

"I think I know what must have caused it." Kenshin turned to him. "Those plants she had in the yard…your father bought those before." He paused. "They must have been locked in the attic or something."

"Oh." He turned away. "Is she going to get better Uncle Kenji?"

"I don't know son; your father's death hit her hard."

"She's not the only one."

Kenji placed a hand on his shoulder, but Kenshin shifted away.

"I'm sorry to leave you with this, but…I have to head back."

"When are you coming back?"

"In another month…like usual."

Kenji turned his head before speaking again.

"Kenshin, I'm looking into some places…to put your mother."

Kenshin's head shot in his direction. "No." He whispered.

"She can't go on like this and neither can you."

"I've been doing fine up until now."

"It was the water this time; what if the next time." He swallowed. "I'm afraid she may do something to harm herself or you."

"She won't."

"When she's like this you don't know….I'm sorry."

Kenshin stared at him angrily.

"You're her brother…how can you do that to her?"

"How can I not? Kenshin, she needs help and neither of us can help her."

"Maybe if you stayed?"

"I have a family of my own to support; paying the mortgage, her medical bills…I can't keep up with it. It's taking food out of my children's mouths."

"So you're going to abandon her?"

"No." He said softly. "I want to protect her, but I can't from where I am. Moving is not an option." He stated when Kenshin was about to object.

"I found a nice place that can help her get better." He risked touching him again. "Please Kenshin, don't make her suffer anymore."

Kenshin got to his feet. "You're her power of attorney anyway; my opinion doesn't matter."

"Yes it does."

But Kenshin didn't hear his reply; he started walking away from the scene.

Tomoe wanted to get started on her and Kenshin's history project so she arrived at school earlier than usual; when she crossed the grass of the football field, she could just make out someone with flaming red hair sitting on the bleachers. She smiled despite herself because so far she only knew one person with that kind of hair.

She strolled across the yard and called out when she thought he could hear her, but he didn't move. She waved one arm in the air, but he still didn't look up.

He shifted positions and that was when she realized he was listening to music. Looking down, she noticed a clod of dirt at her feet; she picked it up and threw it at him. When it landed right beside his foot, his eyes were wild and angry; when he spotted who threw it, his features softened. He removed his earplugs.

"Sorry, I had to get your attention somehow." She said with cheer; she climbed the steps and sat next to him, making sure to avoid the clod.

"And throwing mud at me was your only option?" He was wiping the residue from his pants leg; she noticed his face still looked angry.

"I'm sorry." She said guiltily.

"It's cool." He scrolled through his list of music.

"How come you're out here?" She asked as she placed her hands under her thighs.

"Needed to think." He removed the plugs and placed them in his pockets. "What about you?" He faced her.

"I wanted to get an early start on our assignment." She brought her books to her lap. "I was wondering if you liked this topic."

Kenshin removed the book she held out; it was a history on the Bakumatsu era. He smiled.

"I like this."

"You do?" She said with excitement. "I'm glad."

He flipped through the pages. "You like this kind of stuff."

"Oh yeah. For some reason, this era especially is my favorite; samurai and the Shogunate…really interesting people."

"I know what you mean. I like movies set in that time too; I have a whole collection of it." He handed the book back to her.

"That's going to make our work easy…since we know so much about it." She looked away shyly.

"What other things do you like?" He asked suddenly.

She turned to him and shrugged. "I don't know…lots of stuff."

"Like?" He smiled.

"Well, I like history…it's my favorite subject…uh, I like to cook. My father taught me how to cook Edo-mae style. I like to arrange flowers." She stopped when she noticed the expression on his face. She blushed and looked away.

"Sounds boring huh?" She said.

"No, I was just wondering…that perfume you're wearing…white plums isn't it?"

Her eyes danced slightly at his knowledge. "Yeah."

"It's nice."

"Thanks."

"You're an interesting person Tomoe Yukishiro." He got to his feet and held out his hand. "We better get going."

She placed her hand into his.

"I'll get those." He rushed to grab her books when she was about to. "Shall we?" He guided her down the steps carefully.

Kaoru watched them from the corners of her eyes; after the partner assignments were handed out, Katsura instructed each group to sit together.

"Today we're going to use class time to gather information; now, I'm hoping everyone already has what they're going to write about."

The class moaned. He took this to mean yes and so he smiled.

"Okay, before I let you get started, I wanted one person to tell me which topic you chose. Who wants to go first?" He looked around.

"We will." Kenshin raised his hand.

"Wonderful."

Kenshin stood up and cleared his throat. "Tomoe and I chose the Bakumatsu era, paying close attention to the Shinsengumi Faction." He sat.

Katsura nodded his approval.

"Very interesting Kenshin…Tomoe. A most feared organization right next to the Shoguns…very good. Who's next?"

Kenshin noticed Kaoru making faces.

"Ms. Kamiya…does your group have a topic yet?" Katsura asked with a hint of annoyance.

She jumped. "Not yet sir."

"Well, I expect you and Yahiko use this time to decide that; I want your decision by the end of class…understood?"

"Yes sir."

"Mr. Sagara and Megumi…you're next."

Megumi stood, tossing her jet black hair in the process.

"We decided to focus on the Heian period with emphasis on the poetic side."

Sano rolled his eyes.

"Very good Ms. Megumi; my wife and I found that period most appealing ourselves. See me after class, I have a few books to recommend."

"Thanks." She said happily.

"Is that cheating?" Someone asked.

"No, it's me giving my students a little boost. Now," he checked his watch. "I'll give you until twenty of to complete the in class research…begin." Katsura sat and pulled out a thin book; he sat back and started to read.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

He waved his hand in front of her face, but she steadily ignored it.

"Hey, we need to come up with a topic…Kaoru?" Yahiko whined.

"What do you think he sees in her?"

"Who?"

"Kenshin of course."

Yahiko craned his neck to see what she was talking about; Kenshin and Tomoe were deep into their books. They were smiling and moving with animation.

"They're just history partners…geez."

"But look at them."

"Why? Come on, think of something to write about."

"Oh please, just choose something."

Yahiko scrunched his nose. "I know!"

"SHH!" The class hissed.

"Let's do a history on dojos."

Kaoru wasn't listening.

"Whatever." She said with a wave of her hand.

"Awesome! Mr. Kogoro…we have a topic!"

"I have a break before practice today…want to meet up in the library after school?" Kenshin asked Tomoe.

"Sure…I'll be…"

"Near the history books?" He interrupted with a smile.

"Yeah."

"Alright…see ya then."

"Okay, see ya." She walked out the classroom.

"See ya." Kaoru mimicked as she approached him. "Acting all shy and crap. Give me a break." She ran her hand through her hair and rolled her eyes.

"That's not nice Karou."

"Oh please, it's so obvious she's flirting with you."

"So what?" He walked out and she followed.

"What do you mean so what? Oh I get it, you just love it when the girls fall all over you. The big football hero."

"Uh, excuse me…I'm on the team too." Sano stated as he and Megumi followed behind.

"Kenshin just loves it when they come running; especially at the games huh…feeds your ego." He stopped, causing her to bump into him. When he turned she backed away.

"Are you done?" He asked calmly.

"Can't you take a joke?"

Instead of answering, Kenshin just walked on.

Kenshin hasn't been to the library in ages; he was actually lost when he set out. He entered, unsure where the history section would be; spotting someone sitting at the reception desk, he asked quietly and they pointed him in the right direction.

His mind was full of thoughts, but mostly were about his mother. After his father was killed, she seemed fine; she went about her daily routine as if nothing happened, but when he came home one day and found her huddled in a corner talking to herself he knew something wasn't right.

Right after he called an ambulance, he called his uncle Kenji; although he lived several hours away, Kenshin had no one else to contact. He was there the next day.

They discussed what needed to be done; the doctors gave her some medication and Kenshin made sure she took the right dosage. Unfortunately, he had a game one night and had to leave her alone; she seemed coherent so he wasn't worried, but during the third quarter he got a call. His mother tried to overdose on her medication.

No one at the school knew what happened; he asked Principal Hajime and the coach to keep the information silent and they granted his request. Not even Kaoru or his other friends knew what transpired; the only thing he told them was that his mother needed him. They knew the death hit her hard, but they didn't know to what extent.

When he finally located the section, he ran a hand over the spines as he rounded the corner; he found Tomoe sitting by herself with several books laid out in front. Oddly, he smiled.

She had her head resting in her palm; she was flipping through pages and writing stuff down. Her eyes were downcast, in a serious expression; every so often she would rotate her neck around, trying to get the kinks out. He watched her for a while.

Then, she lifted her head, raised her arms and stretched; he was able to see the outline of her figure from the waist up. He looked away shyly, feeling like a voyeur, but her next move brought his eyes back to her. She was running her hands through her hair; after she did that several times, she took something from her mouth and tied her hair behind her back. This left her neck exposed; he found this oddly attractive.

As she ran a hand down the lines of her hair, attempting to smooth it out, she caught sight of him. Her smile was radiant as she raised her hand in greeting. He finally moved.

"Hi…thought you got lost." She said happily.

He threw his bags in a vacant seat and sat across from her. "I actually did."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Haven't been here in quite a long time." He looked around. "I like the smell actually."

"Me too."

He faced her. "We seem to have a lot in common huh?"

She lowered her eyes. "I guess."

"So." He patted the table. "What do ya got?"

"I have several books on the Bakumatsu, but it was hard finding any on the Shinsengumi; I asked Mr. Kogoro if he had any books on the subject, but suggested I go to the city library."

"Probably our best bet."

"At least we can get started on the era." She started. "How much time do you have?"

"Only an hour…sorry."

"That's fine. Here." She handed him a book and retrieved another notebook from her bag. "Do you have a portion you want to write about?"

"What are we really focusing on beside the Shinsengumi?"

"Well," she placed the tip of her pen in her mouth. Kenshin was mesmerized for some reason. "What about, we use the Shinsengumi as the background? Like, we can discuss how the political crisis affected them if any…we can discuss the Choshu rebellion…stuff like that."

Kenshin was impressed and he said so.

"You blush a lot don't you?" He stated without thinking. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to embarrass you."

"It's alright."

"It's just…don't take this the wrong way, but…it's like you've never received compliments before."

"I have…just from my family."

"I find that hard to believe. You mean a guy never complimented you?"

"No." She lowered her head and started writing. Kenshin immediately felt he crossed a line.

"I'm sorry Tomoe; if I was out of line."

She smiled. "It's alright. No, I haven't had many compliments from boys…not good ones at least; they think I'm a book worm."

"Nothing wrong with liking books."

"Yeah well."

"I feel bad."

She looked up. "Why?"

"I was trying to pay you a compliment, but I put my foot in my mouth."

She smiled again. "Thank you Kenshin."

"For putting my foot in my mouth?" She laughed. "If that's all it took I'll do it more often then."

"Stop." She placed a hand to her chest.

Kenshin found her smile and laugh very attractive, but he refrained from saying so this time.

"I guess we better get started." He said instead.

"Yeah, don't want you to miss practice."

Karou found them sitting across from one another; they were talking, but their stance seemed so….comfortable. This, along with other things, bothered her. She watched as Kenshin handed Tomoe a book…he pointed to something and they were discussing it; he said something that made her laugh and he smiled along with her.

Kenshin, at one point, got up from his seat and came over to her side; he placed one hand on her chair while the other was lying on the desk. He was far too close to her; this movement made her approach the two.

"Hello there."

Kenshin turned in surprise to find her there. "Kaoru…doing research?" He walked back over to his side.

"Hi." Tomoe greeted. Kaoru produced a half smile before turning back to Kenshin.

"It's almost time for practice."

"Oh yeah, crap." He started gathering his things. "Do you need this back?" He asked Tomoe as he held out the notebook she gave him earlier.

"You keep it. Do you want to meet again tomorrow?"

"If I can swing it."

"You know we can meet after practice…so you wouldn't be in such a hurry." She suggested.

"That'll be good. I'll check with you tomorrow okay?"

"Wait." She got up, tore a sheet from her notebook and started writing on it. "Here's my number…just call me."

"Thanks." He pocketed the paper as he quickly glanced at Kaoru; she had her head averted.

"Have a good practice." Tomoe said.

"Thanks Tomoe…bye."

Tomoe watched how Kaoru forced her arm into his; she shook her head at the scene before going back to her books.

"That girl likes you."

"This again?"

"Why are you so blind?"

Kenshin and Kaoru were just outside the playing field.

"Why does it matter if she likes me or not…we're supposed to be together right?"

"I guess." She folded her arms and looked away.

"Look." He stepped forward and took her hands into his. "I'm with you. A thousand girls can flirt with me, but I'm with you…okay?"

She smiled. "Okay."

He kissed her softly.

"I need to go; you coming by later?"

"Can't…studying with Yahiko." She rolled her eyes.

"Then I'll call you later."

"You better." She stabbed her finger into his chest.

"Ouch." He said playfully as he kissed her once more.

But as he made his way to the field, his mind kept going back to Tomoe. She was the first girl he could easily talk to; with Kaoru, it was like stepping on egg shells. She was so jealous and envious of other girls; Tomoe seemed…at ease with herself.

The way she talked about the things she liked; the way she took charge of the assignment…all of this he found attractive in a girl. He also found it odd that in the little time they spoke, he found her more interesting than…Kaoru. Not to mention they had similar interest; this made him wonder what other things they had in common.

He liked Tomoe. He felt as if…they were kindred spirits. He stopped midstride.

"Come on man, you just met her…be serious." He said to himself before continuing onward, but as he walked into the locker room…he couldn't help wondering.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Tomoe decided to finish studying at home, but as she made her way she found herself going to the restaurant instead. When she reached the door, she took notice of the large sign sitting in front: _Grand Opening this weekend! _

She smiled with pride as she reached into her purse to remove her keys; she unlocked the door and pushed it open. She found Enishi standing behind the counter.

"What's up?" He greeted with a hand wave.

She closed the door and locked it. "What are you doing back there? Did you go to school?"

"Of course I did. Why are you here?"

"Is mom around or have you finally decided to rob us?" She joked.

"Wow sis, you're mean." He chuckled as he hid behind the counter; she rushed over and peered over.

"What are you doing anyway?"

"Trying to set up this shelf."

She noticed several glasses littered around his feet; he was sitting on the floor putting them in place.

"Hey, you didn't answer my question."

"Dad's in the freezer with the butcher; I think mom's in the office."

"Thanks little brother."

Tomoe strolled through the small kitchen, locating the office door – it was open. She found her mother punching in numbers; she knocked softly.

Sakura held up a finger, punched in a few more numbers, and wrote it down before facing her audience.

"Hi sweetie…what brings you here?"

Tomoe approached and kissed her; she sat in a vacant seat.

"You got a moment…to talk?"

"Always for you…what's on your mind?" She crossed her legs.

"I have…"

"Mr. Yukishiro you have nothing to worry about; we have the order set up already for tomorrow morning. By the opening you should be good to go."

Yoritomo just appeared outside the door with the butcher; a beefy man with a large mustache. Sakura got up and closed the door; she smiled at her husband first.

"Sorry about that; don't want the old man to hear. Now, what is it?"

"I have a question…about a boy."

"Uh oh." She recrossed her legs. "What is it?"

"How do you know if a boy likes you?"

"Tough question with so many answers. Let me ask one of my own." Tomoe nodded. "Do you like him?"

Tomoe blushed.

"Okay, I understand your blush language." She smiled. "Have you spoken to him?"

"Yeah, we're assigned on this history project. Strangely, he's the boy who bumped into me that first day."

"Ah, love at first bump…a classic."

"Mom."

"I'm sensing more to this question than 'how do you know a boy likes you'…spill."

"It's just…I may be way off base, but…it just feels…comfortable with him. Like I know him already."

"Explain."

"We were sitting in the library going over our work; it was quiet and all, but as we sat there not saying anything…it felt…comfortable. You know what I mean?"

"One of those comfortable silences where words are not needed."

"Are you making fun of me?"

"No sweetie." She laughed. "A comfortable silence is good; some couples don't get to that point until many years later. It's hard to explain, but…when you're with someone…sometimes you don't need to talk and that's good. You're just comfortable being around one another."

"Like it feels right?"

Sakura stared at her curiously. "Tomoe honey, what is this about?"

"I don't know mom. Like I said, I could be reading more into it than necessary, but…I just feel…like I can be myself around him."

"Baby, don't put your heart into this so soon." She said in all seriousness.

"I'm not…I promise. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't going crazy."

Sakura watched as Tomoe's eyes danced; this worried her. Tomoe noticed the look and regretted worrying her mother.

"Don't worry mom; I'm just asking questions here."

"Right." She said softly.

Just then a knock came to the door.

"Is it alright for me to come in now?" Yoritomo shouted.

Kenshin knocked on the door.

"What can I do for you?" Hiko asked as he took a seat.

Kenshin stepped in. "It's about my mom coach."

Hiko looked up with worry. "Is she alright?"

"I don't know." He sat. "My uncle wants to take her to a place where they can help her."

"That's good."

"Yeah." His voice was filled with uncertainty.

"What is it?"

"I don't know how I feel about this. I mean, I want her to get better, but…why does she have to go away for it?"

"Where is this place?"

"I think it's closer to where he lives."

"Well, if he's sure it'll help her."

"But that's just it…what if it doesn't? How well does he know this place?"

"Kenshin, have you asked him about it?"

"No sir."

"Maybe you should; I can't give you any sound advice on this subject I'm sorry."

"I know. I guess I just wanted to tell someone."

Hiko stared at him. "Maybe it's time to bring your friends into it."

"Why?"

"You need someone to lean on; that's what friends are for."

Kenshin lowered his gaze. He didn't know why he felt he couldn't tell them this; surely they would understand.

"Kenshin?" He looked up to find Hiko staring at him. "Is there something else you want to talk to me about?"

Kenshin opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

"Do you think you're ready for the game?" Hiko asked when Kenshin remained quiet.

"I hope so."

"Well," he stood and grabbed his jacket. "Try not to think so hard and remember your teammates; I don't want to bench you the entire game." He smiled, but Kenshin's face remained unemotional.

"Coach…have you ever felt a…sudden connection with someone…a girl?"

Hiko smiled. "Only once….my wife."

"How did you know she was the one?"

"You're too young to think about marriage Kenshin."

"I'm not thinking about marriage; I'm thinking about this connection…this…spark or something…I don't know…forget it." He turned.

"Wait." He looked down at his pupil. "It's like…a comfortable feeling…like you can tell her anything. When you're with her…it feels natural…you can be yourself."

Kenshin stared off in the distance. "Yeah…it's exactly that." He said softly.

Hiko smiled. "Am I correct to assume you're speaking about Ms. Kaoru?"

Kenshin turned away.

"Oh." Hiko stated. "I see."

"Is it wrong?"

"No, you can't help who you feel a connection to, but…I would suggest if you feel this way about someone else you handle things with Ms. Kaoru first. It wouldn't be fair to her if your heart technically belonged to someone else."

Tomoe was sitting at her desk writing some information about the Shinsengumi when her phone rung; she didn't recognize the number, but she picked it up anyway.

"Hello?"

"Tomoe…it's me…Kenshin."

"Kenshin? Hey."

"Hey. Uh, did I bother you?"

"No, I was just going over some books; I found some interesting ones at the library about the Shinsengumi."

"Cool. Make sure to bring them tomorrow."

"Right. How was practice?"

The question surprised him because Kaoru never once asked him how it went.

"It was good. I got a few downs and a few penalties."

"You're part of the defensive backfield right…the cornerback?"

Kenshin was at a loss. "You…know the terms?"

"Sure…I watch football sometimes. Although," she laughed. "I'm drawn more to the professional side."

"How did you get into it?"

"My dad watches a lot of football so I looked them up; wanted to find a way to share his love of it and it made me love it more."

This impressed him.

"I don't know all the guys on your team, but I figured what your position was…uh, I watched you play a couple of times."

"You did?"

"Yeah." She said shyly. "Wanted to know why they called you speedy…you're good."

"Wow…thanks."

"It's not like I'm stalking or anything…"

"No…it's nice."

"Thanks. I also took notice how you act when you're fouled…like that play when you made an illegal forward pass." She giggled. "Never heard so many bleeps in my life."

"Oh my goodness…where did you find that?" She told him. "I've got to look that up."

"I never knew high school football was so…entertaining."

"Wait…wait…I'm watching it now."

She heard the excitement in his voice; she heard him laugh as the bleeps went off like sirens.

"This is awesome."

"You like seeing yourself like that?" She joked.

"Not really, but…" He chuckled. "This could help me not make the same mistake twice."

"Glad I could help."

"You're awesome Tomoe." He heard silence. "I bet you're blushing huh?" He laughed.

"Anyway."

"Hey, you coming to the game this weekend?"

"Can't, restaurant opens then."

"Your family owns a restaurant?"

"I never told you?"

"I think I would have remembered that tidbit."

"Yeah. It's where I learned how to cook."

"That's really cool."

She blushed at his excitement.

"Maybe you could come later?" His voice was filled with hope.

"How about this? I could ask my dad if he could give you guys a special discount if you come in after."

"Really?"

"I can probably persuade him." She did a sneaky laugh.

"I'll ask the gang…thanks."

"No problem." They were quiet for a while.

"I forgot what I called for." He laughed.

"It's okay." She started flipping pages.

"Can't remember." He laughed again.

"We could just talk…if you want."

And that's what they did…until three in the morning.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Although he didn't get much sleep, he didn't regret the reason; talking to Tomoe was like a breath of fresh air. He was actually smiling when he reached the kitchen, but that smile soon faded.

The kitchen was a mess. Cabinets were open, the dishes, flatware, and other things were piled in the middle of the room; there was brown water in the sink and a pile of brown food on the floor in one corner. He entered the kitchen slowly and soon realized that the pile of food on the floor wasn't food at all. The stench made him recoil.

His eyes burned, but this time he allowed the tears to fall.

"MOM?" He called as he made his way to her room; he threw open the door, but it was empty. He ran to the back, but the yard was empty as well; he noticed the newly planted bed was overturned. Several large holes littered the yard.

He ran upstairs to the attic…he found the trapdoor open. He listened, but didn't hear anything. He climbed slowly.

He entered the darkness with apprehension; he wasn't sure whether his mom was violent in her states or not.

"Mom?" He called quietly, attempting to reassure her it was him. He heard a low sound in the far corner. He called out to her again.

"Shinta?" She whispered. He climbed further into the small space.

"Where are you?" He called, but he soon found a large dark mass sitting in the corner. He squinted. "Mom?"

"Shinta?" She asked with concern.

"Yeah it's me. Why don't you come out?"

"But…they'll get me too."

He stopped. "No one's here honey…come on out….please."

"No…Shinta, you have to protect me."

"I promise I will. I just need for you to come out." The tears fell.

He waited, but she didn't move.

"Reiko?" He called his mother's given name.

"You're one of them." She whispered with hatred.

"Reiko no, it's me…Shinta."

"NO! Get away from me…SHINTA…SHINTA!"

"MOM PLEASE!"

"KENSHIN? GET OUT OF THE HOUSE BABY…THEY'RE HERE! You stay away from my son."

He heard her move in the distance; the sound of something metallic also moved. He strained his eyes, but couldn't see what it was.

"Get out." She whispered. "Get out or I'll kill you."

Something struck a pile of boxes to the floor; Kenshin, unsure what to do, turned and ran from the attic. He could hear his mother screaming after him; he managed to make it to his room just when something hard hit the wood.

"I'LL KILL YOU!" She continued to scream, banging the door with the object in her hand.

"MOM STOP!"

"KILL YOU…KILL YOU!"

Her body was relaxed; her eyes sleeping soundly. Kenshin watched as they hauled her into the waiting ambulance.

He managed to call the paramedics when she calmed; when they arrived, she started swinging at them. The men tried to calm her, but the metal banister she had in her hand made it impossible to approach; she injured someone when she swung it out in front. They were able to subdue her, but barely.

When they asked what kind of medication she was on, Kenshin didn't know the medical term so he went searching for it; he found an empty bottle sitting under her bed.

When she was gone, he called his uncle and then the school; once the house was empty, he sat in the hall. Raising his head, he stared at the picture of his father sadly.

"Tomoe?"

Tomoe looked up to Katsura. "Yes?"

"Kenshin won't be in today…he's uh…not feeling well."

"Oh, okay then. Thanks for telling me."

Katsura nodded before going back to the blackboard. Kaoru watched the entire exchange; she nudged Sano.

"Hey…what?" He asked quietly.

"Where's Kenshin?"

"How the hell should I know?"

"Was he at practice this morning?"

"No practice until after class. Why don't you call him?"

"I tried, he's not answering."

"Why don't ask Tomoe to call?" He asked with sarcasm.

"You think he'll pick up for her?"

Sano shrugged before turning back to his work.

Tomoe's mind kept drifting to him; she hoped everything was alright. During a break between classes she sent a text message to him, but as the day wore on and he didn't respond, she assumed he must be busy or ill.

She didn't know where he lived so stopping by was out of the question; still, would she if she had his address? Their conversation last night replayed in her mind; they talked about everything under the sun. They laughed and he even shared with her some of his fears, but when she got on the subject of his family, the only thing he said was that his father was gone.

She asked about his mother, but the tone of his voice got weird so she changed the subject. Still, she worried about him.

When she was just leaving for lunch, she heard her phone go off; reaching inside, she retrieved it and saw that it was from Kenshin. She smiled as she opened the message:

_**Sorry, family emergency**_

She texted back: _**Everything alright?**_

He didn't respond for a while, but then: _**No**_

This concerned her so instead of texting, she found a spot and dialed his number, but he didn't pick up. When she ended the call, it beeped after a few seconds.

_**Not in the mood to talk…sorry. **_

_**It's okay…I'm here if you need to.**_

_**Thanks**_

She put the phone back in her purse just when someone appeared behind her.

"Calling my boyfriend?"

Tomoe could clearly see the anger rooted in her gaze; she faced her.

"No, calling a _friend_."

"Who happens to be my boyfriend right?"

"He's also my history partner."

"Like that matters." She stepped forward which made Tomoe back away slightly. "Leave him alone okay. He's not into you anyway."

"If you want him to leave me alone I suggest you talk to Mr. Kogoro…he's the one who paired us together."

Kaoru smirked.

"You're lucky we're at school."

"Is that a threat?"

"Only if you want it to be."

"Don't you have any confidence in your relationship? Don't you trust Kenshin?"

"Oh I trust him…I don't trust you." She took another step. "Kenshin and I have known one another for a long time; he's known you what…a month maybe less? You can't have what we have…remember that." She walked away.

Tomoe just watched, unfazed by her attitude. Just then, her phone buzzed again…it was Kenshin.

_**Can you come by after school?**_

_**Of course, **_she typed back.

_**Thanks.**_ He typed out his address.

Tomoe found the address easily; it didn't hurt that when she walked down the block she spotted Kenshin sitting outside eating a bowl of soup.

Worry set in as she watched him; his form seemed defeated.

"Hi." She spoke as she neared him.

He turned his attention to her and smiled briefly. "Sorry to bother you."

"No bother." She sat next to him. "What happened?"

He finished off his soup and placed the bowl behind him.

"Do you remember asking about my mother?" She nodded. "Promise me you won't say anything to anyone else?"

"I promise."

Kenshin began his tale. Tomoe watched him sadly as tears began to pool in his eyes; by reflex, she took his hand into hers and held it tightly. As Kenshin spoke he kept his eyes from her, but every once in a while he would turn toward her and find her listening quietly and with sympathy.

Once he was done, his throat hurt. He could feel her hands squeeze his.

"I'm sorry Kenshin." Her voice was filled with concern. "This must have been hard on you….keeping it inside." He nodded. "How come you haven't told your friends?"

"I don't know. I just felt like…they wouldn't understand."

"Did you at least try?"

"No." He felt ashamed.

"How come you told me?"

"I don't know. I felt like…I could tell you." He looked at her. "Was I wrong?"

"No. I'm glad you told me this part of yourself." She kissed his cheek, but when she pulled back he brought his lips to hers.

When it ended they stared at one another.

"I'm sorry." He whispered.

She touched her lips, removed her hand from his and stood.

"Tomoe wait, don't leave."

"I'm not leaving; I'm just…surprised. Kenshin you're in a relationship."

"I know."

"You're confused and hurting right now."

"No…I'm not." He approached her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "There's something about you…I can't explain it."

"Kenshin please." Suddenly she was uncomfortable with this.

"Tell me you don't feel the same?" But she couldn't and he knew it.

He pressed his lips to hers once more, but this time she responded; she wrapped her arms around his neck while he brought his around her waist. He pulled her closer to him as the kiss deepened.

When it ended, they pressed their foreheads together. They were breathing heavily.

"Who are you?" He whispered.

"What?" She asked in the same manner.

"I can't stop thinking about you. All I want to do is talk to you…hold you…I want to tell you everything…give my heart to you. Tomoe…please tell me you feel the same."

"I do." She whispered as she planted kisses around his face.

He cupped her face and kissed her deeply again, but she pulled away.

"We can't do this."

"Why not?" He took her hand and brought her to him; he embraced her. "Why not?"

"You have a girlfriend."

This he could not deny.

"I don't love her."

"Kenshin no."

He kissed her once more.

"Being with you Tomoe…it feels so right."

"I know…I feel the same about you, but…we can't right now."

He sighed, "I know….I'm sorry."

She smiled. "Stop apologizing." She placed her hand on his cheek. "Are you alright?"

He shook his head. She pulled him close and held him.

Kenshin's thoughts were never far from Tomoe. After she left, he went back inside and waited for his uncle; he cleaned up the mess his mother made and closed his eyes. Within an hour, his uncle had arrived, frantic with worry. Kenshin hopped into his car and they drove to the hospital.

He was sitting outside her room; he could hear whispers emitting from within. His uncle went in first, spoke to her doctor, but then Kenshin was surprised to hear her voice; she was speaking clearly, but he knew this was due to the medication. Although she threw out what remained of hers, it was evident it didn't work; the hospital prescribed a stronger medication.

"Kenshin?" He lifted his head and found his uncle leaning out the door. "She wants to talk to you."

Kenshin rose slowly, ran his hands up and down his pants and followed. The room was dark except for the table lamp next to his mother's bed; she was sitting up, but she wasn't looking at him. Her hands were folded in her lap; her long dark hair was tied behind her head severely. There were wisps of hair hanging in her face; every so often she would tuck a strand behind her ear.

"Reiko?" Kenji spoke softly. She looked up and turned toward her son.

She smiled. "Hi baby." She whispered.

Kenshin ran to her and threw his arms around her; as they embraced, Kenji stepped out quietly.

"I am so sorry I put you through this." She whispered.

"It's not your fault."

She pulled away. "Maybe it is."

"No."

"Baby listen to me; your uncle told me about his plans…for me."

Kenshin began to shake his head. She cupped his face.

"Honey, I haven't been a good mother to you."

"Yes you have! You're just…grieving for dad."

"Baby, your father died almost three years ago."

"It takes time to heal from that."

"But I'm not healing…I know you see this."

He pulled away. "I don't want to hear you talking like this; I promised to protect you and I will."

She smiled at him. "You've done a great job so far; now it's my turn."

"I don't want you to leave." His voice cracked.

"And I don't want to leave you." He embraced her once more. "But in order for me to get better I have to do this. Please say you understand." She pulled him back. "Kenshin honey…please."

He didn't want to give her up, but he also didn't want to see her suffer anymore. With great reluctance, he nodded that he understood.

Although he still couldn't afford it, Kenji made arrangements to keep the house payments low until Kenshin finished high school; once he graduated, Kenshin promised to get a job so he could help pay the bills Kenji was accumulating. Kenshin didn't want the house sold and he didn't want to leave it; he took a bus back home.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

It was almost four in the morning when he got home; instead of sleeping, he rode out to the school and threw the ball around the field. The solitude awakened his senses, but he was still troubled; his concerns shifted from his mom to his feelings for Tomoe…each were important to him.

He held the ball and was ready to throw it when he caught sight of a tall person walking across the field; he had his hands in his pockets, his head was down, but Kenshin could tell from the way he walked that it was Sano.

"What are you doing here?" Kenshin called as Sano neared.

Sano lifted his arm and glanced at it. "It's almost 7:30."

"Really?" He looked at his own watch. "Didn't know it was that late."

"Late? How long have you been here?"

"I don't know," he tossed the ball into the air. "Since five I think."

Sano stared at him. "You alright man?"

"Couldn't sleep."

"Couldn't sleep so you came to school? Wow, must be getting like that Tomoe chick."

The mention of her name stopped him. "Don't talk about her in that tone."

"What tone?"

Kenshin looked away. "Nevermind."

Sano stared at him as he ran a hand through his hair. "Speaking of Tomoe."

Kenshin shot his head around. "Is she alright?"

Sano paused in his movements. "I wouldn't know; look man, you got the hots for her or something?"

"Are you asking on behalf of someone else?"

"I'm asking because you're my friend. I thought you were in love with Kaoru?"

"Never said I was." He said quietly.

"So what's the deal?"

"Look," he threw the ball into his gym bag. "It's kind of…complicated." He started to walk away; Sano followed.

"Try me."

Kenshin looked at him. "Have you ever had feelings for someone…I mean strong feelings?"

"Sexual?"

"No…just a connection or something."

"Sure. You talking about Kaoru?"

"No." He said quietly.

"Tomoe? Dude, you just met her."

"I know."

"Maybe you're just…you know…horny or something. I'm sure Kaoru is more than willing…"

"HEY! Don't say things like that okay."

Sano held up his hands. "Sorry."

They walked on silence for a while.

"Are you saying you love Tomoe?" Sano asked.

"I don't know. I just know she's…attractive and…cool. She likes football." He grinned.

"So, I like football too; are you in love with me?"

"Be serious Sano."

"I am." He grabbed Kenshin's arm and turned him. "Look, you've got a good thing with Kaoru; you don't know anything about Tomoe. She could have a man somewhere…she could be some black widow." Kenshin laughed. "I'm serious. Think real hard before you just drop Kaoru for someone you're not sure about."

"But that's just it Sano…I've never felt so sure about someone before. Not even Kaoru."

When they reached campus, students were already arriving; they departed ways, Sano heading to the cafeteria for breakfast. Kenshin chose to sit outside by the steps for Tomoe; he checked his watch again hoping she would arrive soon.

He was flipping through the notebook she gave him when a pair of feminine hands wrapped around his eyes; he smiled when he reached up to take them.

"Tomoe." He turned. "Oh."

Kaoru stepped back, returning her hands to her sides. "So you're waiting for her?"

He got to his feet. "Kaoru listen."

"No! What is this?"

"We need to talk." He took her by the hand and led her to a section of trees; he wanted to be away from prying eyes and ears.

She folded her arms. "So…talk."

Kenshin exhaled. "I think we need to take a break."

"A break?" She gazed up and nodded in sarcastic thought. "And why do you think we need this break? Does it have something to do with the fact that you were waiting for someone else?"

"No." He said softly. "I just don't think it's been working out."

"You were fine yesterday…what changed?"

"A lot of things." He didn't want to bring his mom's condition into this conversation.

"Like what?"

"I just…don't want to be in a relationship right now."

"With me? Finish the sentence Kenshin! You don't want to be in a relationship with me!"

"Could you keep your voice down?" He whispered as he peered over to several students who turned in their direction.

"Don't want anyone to hear their star player dumbing his supportive girlfriend? Afraid it may ruin your rep?"

"Come on…stop being this way."

Tomoe waved to a couple of her friends as she crossed the grass; she noticed several students staring at a large section of trees. Some were pointing and laughing; as she looked closer she caught a quick glimpse of Kenshin's ponytail.

"I wonder what he's doing." She rushed over.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT ME TO SAY KAORU?"

"I WANT YOU TO TELL ME THE TRUTH!"

He exhaled in defeat. "Kaoru I'm sorry, but…I just can't do this with you anymore."

Kaoru shifted her head slightly and noticed a familiar face approaching.

"You're telling me you have feelings for this girl?" She asked quietly.

"Don't do this."

She cut her eyes sideways…he didn't notice. "Alright, but before I leave I want you to do something for me."

He rolled his eyes. "What is it?"

"Tell me what I meant to you."

He arched an eyebrow and laughed sarcastically. "What?"

"It's the least you could do; I mean, did I mean anything to you?"

He shifted positions and crossed his arms. "I know what you want me to say. You want me to say 'oh come on Kaoru you know I was joking. How could I possibly like someone like Tomoe? She's a boring bookworm who doesn't have the same style of beauty as you." He smiled sarcastically. "Is that better?"

Her smile was wicked. "Perfect." She looked past him. "Oh hey Tomoe."

Kenshin turned.

"Tomoe?"

Her face was a mask of pain; she turned and ran.

"WAIT! TOMOE STOP PLEASE!" He managed to grab the sleeve of her shirt.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" She flung her arm out and faced him. The tears fell down her cheeks in blankets.

"It's not what you think." He whispered in agony.

"I heard you."

"You heard half of it…please." He tried to grab her once more, but she flung her arm out again from his touch.

"Let me explain." He begged.

"Why? So you can tell me more lies?"

"Please." He stepped forward, but she moved back; unfortunately, she moved too quickly and tripped on a slippery patch of grass. This sent her flying to the ground.

The campus roared with laughter.

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" Kenshin commanded, but they continued to laugh. He turned to Tomoe and reached out his hand.

"Leave me alone!" She struggled to her feet.

He reached down and picked up her books; he held them out to her, but when she took them he managed to grab a hold of her wrist.

"Tomoe please."

"Leave me alone Kenshin." She said quietly. "Please."

He released her and watched her disappear.

When he entered the classroom, he was glad Tomoe was already at her seat; he walked over to her.

"Mr. Himura?"

He turned to find Katsura staring at him…he looked upset.

"Yes sir?" Kenshin was positioned over his usual seat next to Tomoe.

"I've assigned you to another partner…Mr. Sagara."

Confused, he glanced from Tomoe back to him.

"But why sir?"

"Don't ask questions just get to your assigned seat." He didn't look up.

"But sir, Tomoe and I…"

"If I have to repeat myself I'll send you to Mr. Hajime's office." Katsura lifted his head. "Go…to…your….seat…now." The manner in which he spoke was calm, but Kenshin heard the undertone of anger.

He moved without comment.

Several minutes later, the class started filling up; Kaoru appeared alongside Megumi. Her face lit up when she spotted Tomoe sitting alone and Kenshin sitting near her desk.

"Ms. Megumi, I've switched partners…you're with Ms. Yukishiro now."

"What…why?"

Katsura stared at her. Without saying anything further, she went over to Tomoe and introduced herself; Kenshin watched as Tomoe's brief smile faded quickly.

"Nice seeing you here again." Kaoru said happily.

"Just don't talk to me." He said calmly, keeping his eyes on Tomoe. Megumi was showing her a book and Tomoe was smiling at it; he produced one of his own as he continued to watch them.

"Mr. Himura?" Kenshin turned to Katsura. "I suggest you get started on your assignment; oh and before I forget…see me after class please."

"Yes sir." He stole a quick glance at Tomoe; she looked at him briefly before diving into her work.

When the bell rung, Kenshin hurriedly got to his feet attempting to talk to Tomoe.

"Mr. Hiumra…please remain seated." Katsura spoke without looking up.

With an aching heart, Kenshin watched as Tomoe exited the classroom; Katsura turned, making sure she was gone before he got to his feet. He closed the door and walked over to Kenshin; he turned a desk around so he was facing him. He sat and laced his fingers.

"Want to tell me what happened?" He asked.

"With what?"

"You and Tomoe." He kept his eyes downcast. "She had grass stains on her clothes; much like her first day, I assumed it had something to do with you."

"Did she tell you?"

"No and I asked. She refused to say so, but giving that she asked to switch partners; well, it doesn't take a genius to understand why." He unlocked his fingers, sat back and folded his arms. "So tell me."

"She overheard part of an argument I was having with Kaoru." He said quietly.

"And you said some unpleasant words about her?"

His head shot up. "I didn't mean to; I was being sarcastic to Kaoru. I wanted to break up with her, but she wanted to know why."

"Why didn't you just tell her?"

"I did, but…she was acting…dumb I guess."

Katsura smiled.

"I take it Ms. Kamiya doesn't like Tomoe?"

"Not really." Kenshin almost smiled.

"Hmm. She carries herself in a way that…girls get jealous over…ever since she was little."

Kenshin looked up in confusion.

"What?"

"Tomoe I mean."

"You…you knew her when she was little?"

"Oh yeah. Her dad and I are best friends…she didn't tell you?" He shook his head. "Guess she didn't want to be labeled as teacher's pet, but I treat her just like any other student…believe me."

"She told me she didn't get lot of positive compliments from boys."

"No she didn't. Being a bookworm was a surefire way to get picked on."

"But I like that she's smart; she's the one who came up with the project." He looked down. "She even likes football."

Katsura chuckled. "A girl after your own heart huh?" He noticed Kenshin's smile. He leaned forward.

"You know Kenshin; I've known you since your freshman year…gangly kid too shy to ask questions." Kenshin smiled. "But once you got on that team, man you were a force to be reckoned with. It's a shame that young man I met once is gone."

"Gone?" Kenshin looked at him. "I'm the same…"

"No, you're not…at least, you weren't before. That all changed when I paired you with Tomoe. Oh your pairing was no accident…I did it on purpose."

"Why?"

"Because I knew she was good for you."

Kenshin lowered his head.

"Was I wrong?" He continued when he didn't answer. "I knew the instant I saw you the next day what effect she had on you; I'm not saying you were a bad kid, I'm just saying there was a change in you after you started spending time with her. Coach Hiko thinks so too."

"Does he know her father too?" He asked with sarcasm.

"No, but Hiko and I go way back. He told me your skills have improved…the way you include your teammates has gotten better as well. You've stopped being a hotshot is what he said."

They laughed, but Kenshin soon stopped.

"But I've lost her." He said quietly.

Katsura stared at his sad face; the smile that was already on his face grew wider.

"You love her don't you?" He asked.

"Yeah I do." His answer was quick.

The look on his face sadden Katsura.

"Give her time." He said quietly.

"But I want to explain…"

"Kenshin…give her time. If you love her…leave her alone for now."

It was the hardest thing he would ever do, but he had to.

"Alright." He said quietly.

"You better get going."

Kenshin gathered his things and left.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

It was the night before opening day for the Yukishiro restaurant; Tomoe was carefully setting up the tables. Before she left for school, she asked her father if she could give the school football team a discount if they showed up after the game; he agreed happily, but when she came in after school to help set up she didn't know how to back out of the deal.

She was hoping they wouldn't show.

"Honey?"

She turned and found her father standing by the counter.

"I'm almost done dad."

He smiled. "Do you have a minute?"

"Sure. Step into my office." She said happily as she pulled out a chair for him; she sat beside him. "What's up?"

"Katsura called me this afternoon."

Her smile faded. "Oh."

He touched her hand. "Baby what happened today?"

"Nothing dad, Mr. Kogoro should never have called you."

"Don't be angry with him; he was just worried about you. You're his little plum blossom remember?"

She blushed.

"Come on, tell dad what happened?"

"What did he tell you?"

"Not much; just said you were angry with your history partner and wanted to switch…I thought you liked being partnered with him?"

"I did." She whispered.

"Then what happened to change that?"

"Why does it matter?" She got up and returned to her duties. "I got another partner…I'll be fine."

"Tomoe?"

She turned at his stern voice. He stood.

"I know it's hard to talk to fathers about things, but please…I want you to trust I'll have an open mind."

The look on his face saddened her.

She looked away shyly. "I…I liked him."

"Liked?" He urged.

"Yeah and….I thought he liked me too."

"When you say _like_…do you mean?" He stopped, swallowing hard.

Tomoe had to laugh at his nervousness.

"Ah, there it is…that smile that melts my heart." He declared happily. He came up and embraced her; he kissed the top her head.

"Tell me something; what makes you think he doesn't like you?"

"He said some mean things about me."

"Really?" His protective instincts were ignited. "What did he say?"

"Called me a boring bookworm." She felt his grip tighten; she looked up. "Dad?"

He produced a phony smile. "I'm fine sweetie. What else did he say?"

She shrugged when she returned to his embrace. "That's it, except that he tried to explain I only heard half of the conversation…yeah right."

"He did?" He pulled back and looked at her; his anger slightly abated.

"Yeah, wouldn't let me go to class with all his pleading." She extracted herself and went back to her work. "I didn't want to hear his excuses."

Yoritomo was curious.

"Why didn't you hear him out at least…that's not like you."

"And listen to more lies? No way."

He watched her movements; slow and deliberate, but sad too.

"You love him don't you Tomoe?"

She paused. She dropped what was in her hands and sat in the chair; Yoritomo ran toward her and held her as she cried. He started rocking her back and forth making shushing sounds.

"It's alright…it's alright." He repeated.

The whistle sounded so many times that people started to lose count; every time it was heard, the crowd yelled and so did the player it was against.

Kenshin flung off his helmet and started screaming at the referee; he waved his hands in the air, pointed to another player, but the man just ignored him. His coach appeared on the field, said something to him and sent him on his way. That was the first half…it continued the entire game.

Each pass Kenshin made was a penalty or foul; sometimes when another player made a pass interference Kenshin would still get angry, thus resulting in him getting a penalty of his own. Hiko grabbed his hair in frustration as Kenshin's penalty points rose. Soon, he was benched for the remainder of the game…they lost 41-2.

Inside the locker room no one spoke to him, not even Sano; once they were dressed, Hiko approached the young man. He was still in his uniform minus the helmet – he was rotating it in his hands.

"What happened?" Hiko asked.

Several players remained.

"We lost…weren't you there?"

"Cut the attitude." He snapped. "What the hell were you doing out there? None of that shit was in the plays."

"We lost." He got to his feet. "Don't you get it?"

"What I don't get is this. Look at me when I'm talking to you." Hiko made to grab his shoulder, but Kenshin swung around widely with his fist raised; Hiko dodged it and pushed Kenshin forward, sending him to the floor.

"TRY THAT SHIT AGAIN AND YOU'RE OFF THE TEAM!"

"SO FUCKING WHAT!" He threw his helmet to the floor, creating a dent in its side. "I don't care about this shit anymore."

"What the hell do you care about?"

"Doesn't matter…they're all gone anyway." He sat on another bench and lowered his head.

Hiko turned and found other players loitering. "What are you waiting for…GET OUT!" They ran. Hiko turned back toward Kenshin.

"Kenshin?" He spoke softly.

"Mom hasn't improved. One night after she got to that hospital she injured a nurse; accused her of trying to poison her. My uncle's trying to spend as much time with her as possible, but they keep him away; saying it's not good for her recovery…what the hell do they know? And Tomoe." He paused.

"What about her?"

His head sunk lower. "I haven't been able to talk to her either. All day yesterday I tried to talk to her…she just ignored me." His shoulders shook. "I'm losing the ones I love the most."

"Why don't you try taking some time off from school? Go visit your uncle and try to force your way into seeing your mother; maybe you can find another hospital that believes family presence is vital to recovery."

"I guess." He wiped his nose. "What about Tomoe?"

"The only thing I can say is give her time."

His laugh was sarcastic. "That's all people keep saying…time. What if she never wants to talk to me?"

"Coach Hiko?"

"Yes?" He turned and found one of the referees at the door.

"Is Mr. Himura with you?"

Kenshin lifted his head; there was fear in his eyes.

The guard smiled. "Someone here wants to see you, but I couldn't allow her in here."

"Who is it?" Hiko asked.

"Ms. Yukishiro."

Kenshin exited the locker room slowly; he found her standing some distance away looking out into the field. The sound of the door closing made her turn; her smile was crooked.

"Hi." She said.

He approached her.

"I didn't know if you guys still wanted the discount so…" She held out the restaurant tickets.

He slowly removed them. "Thanks." He looked down at them. "You came all this way to drop these off?" His voice was tender.

"No, I managed to see some of the game, but…I didn't see you."

"Yeah, I was benched."

"Why?"

He shrugged as he moved past her. "Guess I wasn't into the game tonight."

She watched his back. "Have you spoken to your mother?"

He looked at her. "I don't want to get into that right now."

"Okay, I'm sorry." There was a brief pause. "Well, we're open until two so…if you're still coming…just drop by."

He nodded.

"I'll see you later." She started to walk away.

"Tomoe?"

She turned and found his face averted from her; there was pain in the manner in which he called her name. He was staring at the discount coupons.

"My mom's not getting better; they won't…they won't let us talk to her."

"Kenshin." She rushed by his side. "They can't do that."

"Coach said I should take some time off…to visit my uncle so we could find her someplace else."

"You should. Family is vital in the recovery process; my uncle got really sick and we spent time with him almost everyday…until he got sick of us."

Their laugh was small.

"That's when we knew he was getting better." She touched his wrist. "You should do it."

"Yeah." He looked at her. "I may do that."

She smiled before removing her hand.

"I was able to talk to her…when she first arrived at the hospital." Tomoe smiled warmly. "They gave her a stronger medication which made her lucid so…we had a nice talk."

"That's good."

"She said….said that she was sorry for putting me through this."

Sensing his struggle, she placed both hands onto his.

"Said she didn't want to leave me, but…"

"She wants to get better for you." She finished quietly. "Oh Kenshin."

Tomoe wrapped her arms around him; he brought his arms around her waist and held her tightly.

"I don't want to lose you Tomoe." He whispered.

She felt the sting of tears.

"I swear to you…what you heard wasn't what it sounded like."

"I know." She whispered.

He pulled back and stared at her. "You…you did?"

"Yeah. Call me stupid, but I don't think you would have kept begging to be heard if you meant it." She tried to smile, but couldn't.

"It was part…"

"I don't want to talk about it anymore…can we just forget it?"

"Fine by me."

Tomoe stared at his jersey; she started to wipe the dust off absently.

"You stink." She said softly.

He smiled. "I know." He kissed her forehead. "I love you."

She brought her head into his chest. "I love you too."

Hiko smiled at the embrace as he closed the locker door.

**The End? Maybe not.**


End file.
